Festival Features Farce

June 25, 2000|lisa goddard

A bawdy French farce and a warm, inspiring musical celebrating the voyage to parenthood headline Festival Rep 2000, a summer play series that teams Florida Atlantic University and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts for a fourth consecutive season.

Tartuffe, 17th century France's most controversial play, opens the festival on Friday, and Sybille Pearson's family musical Baby opens July 6. The two productions, to be staged in the Broward Center's Amaturo Theatre, will run in rotating repertory style through July 23. The shows will be directed by a member of the FAU theater faculty and a guest director and will include graduate and undergraduate theater students as well as professional Equity actors.

Tartuffe is the story of a shameless con man and religious hypocrite who preys upon his wealthy benefactor, Orgon, by professing a false super-piety and self-righteousness. He worms his way into Orgon's household, nearly stripping him of his wealth, family and freedom before justice is finally served.

Baby traces the impact of impending parenthood on the lives of three couples of varying ages.

FAU graduate student Mariah Reed, who has done voiceover and commercial work in English and Spanish and has had roles in several films and regional theater, will headline both plays.

Tartuffee will be shown at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, July 13, 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 2, 15 and 16. Show times for Baby are 8 p.m. July 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 20 and 2 p.m. July 8, 9, 22 and 23.

Tickets are $15 for one show or $25 for both. Rates are also available for groups of 20 or more. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is at 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Call the box office at 954-462-0222 or TicketMaster at 561-966-3309.

E-mail Lisa Goddard at Ladygatr8@aol.com, or send her a fax at 561-272-3189.